Zaheer Khan picks Rishabh Pant as sole wicketkeeper in his India squad for T20 World Cup

NEW DELHI: Former India pace spearhead Zaheer Khan has unveiled his squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup , with Rishabh Pant emerging as the sole wicketkeeper in the team. Khan's selection also includes the international debut of left-arm seamer Yash Dayal , aiming to add a new dimension to India's bowling attack.

Among the notable selections in Zaheer Khan's squad is Yash Dayal, the 26-year-old left-arm seamer representing Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League.

Khan took into account Mohammed Shami's injury layoff while making his squad picks, emphasizing Dayal's versatility in different bowling roles.

"When I talk about Yash Dayal, it's a floating spot when the 15 are announced because Mohammed Shami will not be available for the tournament. He's one bowler that if you need someone to bowl up, you have Yash Dayal. If you want a back-end bowler and if Siraj's form is spotty, he can be used there as well," explained Zaheer Khan in an interview with Jio Cinema.

In a departure from conventional selections, Zaheer Khan opted for Rishabh Pant as the only wicketkeeper in his squad, overlooking other contenders such as Sanju Samson, KL Rahul, and Ishan Kishan. Khan emphasized the importance of prioritizing four pace bowlers and maintaining flexibility in the team composition.

"Rishabh Pant is my only wicket-keeper. I have given more importance to bringing four pace bowlers. You don't want to sacrifice a fast bowler for another wicketkeeper. You have options like KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, and many want to see Dinesh Karthik. At this point, we can consider Mahendra Singh Dhoni as well because of his strike rate! I think they'll focus on current players like Samson, KL Rahul, and maybe even Jitesh Sharma. If you're building a team for a month-long tournament, your travelling reserve can be your wicketkeeper," stated Zaheer Khan.

Zaheer Khan's squad comprises 16 players, with a notable caveat regarding the selection of Rohit Sharma's opening partner. Only one player between Gujarat Titans' captain Shubman Gill and Rajasthan Royals' opener Yashasvi Jaiswal will be chosen for the role, providing the team with flexibility in batting order adjustments.

"The toughest decision the selectors will have to make will be choosing one opener out of two terrific options. Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, I think only one of them will make it because the think-tank will want flexibility in the team. A player can't be limited to just one role, they might need to move around the batting order," explained Zaheer Khan.

Zaheer Khan's India squad for T20 World Cup
Batters: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill/Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli , Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh

All-Rounders: Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya , Ravindra Jadeja

Wicket-Keeper: Rishabh Pant

Bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Yash Dayal, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal.

(With inputs from PTI)